What I've read: 10 articles,Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund, Halo: The Flood by William C. Dietz
What I'm Reading Now: (trying to acquire) Inferno by Dante Alighieri
1st "You have been called upon to serve, you will be trained... and you will become the best we can make of you. You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies."(pg. 30) - Dr.Halsey, a scientist, to the children of the SPARTAN II project.
I open the book and start reading only to find that scientists are trying to create super soldiers. The scientists gather "abnormal" children and train them through vigorous exercises. The children; however, don't fight the training and don't question what they are training for because they are always busy. At the end of their training, when they are 14 years old, they are told that they were trained for an experiment called SPARTAN. In order for them to become Spartans, they must be injected with self-enhancing serums. The serums; however, have dire consequences, such as elephantiasis, if the person's body rejects the serum.
The question I have is why do the children accept the serums without hesitation instead of just saying no to the project if they know the serums have these consequences. The main character of the book, John, is one of the people who makes it through the experiment without a defect. I find that John wanted to accept the serum for one main reason: to be a hero. When John was a kid and picked by the scientists, he was told that he may have a chance to save the world. This made John feel excited because he felt important. This is why all the children chose the serum. Everyone wants to feel important in one way even if it means risking their life. It is also clear that John has been conditioned to accept any challenge. Throughout his childhood he has been told to follow orders no matter what. When he was ordered to take the serum, it was an instinct to say yes without a question. Birth of a Spartan SPARTAN serum side effects
2nd "So when the men (ODSTs) surrounding him moved...he hesitated. Not because he was afraid, but because these men could have fallen into any of John's three categories. He didn't know their rank. They were fellow servicemen in the UNSC (space military). But, at the moment, they didn't seem friendly." (pg. 69)
- John in his predicament.
In the beginning of the book, I've encountered that the main character, John, has a problem: he doesn't know what exactly is wrong or right. As far as I know, he has been trained to be a killing machine and only in the killing arts. In this early incident where he encounters ODSTs (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) who pick on him in the gym, he isn't sure what to do. He only know two things about encounters: they are either deadly or friendly. The situation in the gym was different for John. They were fellow soldiers who were being hostile. Fortunately, an officer saw this and ordered John to fight back. Of course, John did so and killed most of them.
"...'My orders gave me permission to 'neutralize' threats,' he replied. 'They aren't threats anymore.'" "...Seven more soldiers. The Master Chief (John) could open fire now and kill them all. Under any other circumstances, he would have removed such threats. But their MA5Bs (gun) were no immediate danger to him...and the UNSC could use every soldier to fight the Covenant (alien race)." (pg. 257)
- John, or the Master Chief, in another predicament.
John has been ordered to test out a new suit of armor called MJOLNIR against some Marines. The armor has a shield that the Covenant "helped" to develop. In order to test how much damage the shield can take, scientists suited John up and placed him against the UNSC's Marines. John has grown much as a soldier. He now knows not to kill any of the soldiers. Instead of killing them, he knocked them out. This is John's way of dealing with this type of situation. UNSC background Covenant
3rd "The Master Chief went to Linda and knelt by her side. Sections of her armor had melted and adhered to her. Underneath, in patches, bits of carbonized bone showed. He accessed her vital signs on his heads-up display. They were dangerously low. 'Did you do it?' she whispered. 'Get the database?' 'Yes. We got it.' (John) 'Good,' she said. 'We won.' She clasped his hand and closed her eyes. Her vital signs flat-lined. John squeezed her hand and let go.'Yes,' he said bitterly. 'We won.'" (pg. 328)
- John with his dying Spartan
John has always been the lucky one. He has surpassed the the other Spartans in skill. John, in this scene, witnessed the death of one his fellow Spartans. She was actually the last Spartan he would ever see. As a Spartan, he is trained not to be attached to other people or objects. The fact that he goes to Linda, a Spartan, while she is dying, shows how much he cares. I came to this conclusion by the fact that Linda only cares about the mission and doesn't care if she is dying or not. John does care about the mission and cares for her. This is the difference between John and the other Spartans.
4th "'Leave him,'" Gagaw [a grunt] advised."'That's what he would do if it was one of us lying on the floor.'" (pg. 33)
The book, Halo: The Flood, opens up well where the 1st one left off. It doesn't just starts a new. Instead, it references the 1st one in case you didn't read. This was a good start for the book. I thought the book was going to take another turn but instead it headed in the right direction. The book opens up with another prologue which, like the 1st one, builds interest on the book. The thing that I hate the most is the fact that the author has a different style of writing than the previous one. The Covenant, just like the grunt, actually talk and their actions are different than in the 1st one. What I believe is that I've gotten used to Eric's style of writing. Grunt info
5th "Yes, the Elite thought, as his highly sensitive ears heard the scrape of a booted foot, a muted click as a new magazine slid home, and the subtle rasp of armor. It won't be long now." (pg. 144)
I take back what I said before of how giving Covenant characters actions and voices was not good. It actually shows the reader how the Covenant think unlike before. It builds character background which is an improvement from the 1st one. The example above is just one that shows how Elites would think in a combat situation. From what I gathered from this small paragraph has showed me more info about the Covenant than the previous book. The Elite, named Zuka 'Zamamee, is a confident one who is very careful when in combat. He is observant and know what's coming. This is just a great example of showing both sides of the stories: The Covenant and the UNSC. I can truly see how the Elite acts on the battlefield and his specialties. No wonder they are equal to Spartans. They are the Covenant's Spartans. Elite info Zuka background
6th "As of each of the fragments of his past played out and was sucked into the void, he could feel the invader enveloping him like an ocean of evil. But, like the pieces of flotsam that remain after a ship has gone down, random pieces of himself remained, a sort of makeshift raft to which he could momentarily cling.[...]But the sea was too rough,waves crashed down on the raft, and broke it apart. Swells lifted Keyes up, others pushed him down, and the final darkness beckoned. But then, just as the ocean was about to consume him, Keyes became aware of the one thing the creature that raped his mind couldn't consume; the CNI transponder's carrier wave." (pg. 227)
When I first read this passage, I was amazed. This is one of the writer's great strengths. He can be descriptive at times and shows great images. I feel like Dietz has captured how Keyes feels when an Elite scavenges his mind. It almost feels like rape. I think this is an excellent description of how Keyes feels. The ocean, or the Elite, is ravaging him and Keyes feels like he is on a raft with nothing but his sanity. Even then, he is losing his sanity. He can't even cling on to his name which I would assume is the raft and his sanity. The one thing that kept Keyes going is the fact that there was still something that the Elite couldn't penetrate; the CNI transponder's carrier wave. Command Neutral Interface
7th "Jenkins didn't want to talk, he wanted to die, but nobody cared. The guards left, the door clanged shut, and the Marine was left nothing but a broken arm and the alien inside his head. Somehow, without actually dying, he had been sentenced to Hell." (pg. 276)
Another powerful image by the writer. This is one similar to the one above but it is the aftermath. Jenkins had his mind raped by the alien. The thing about Jenkins is that he feels that the alien is still there in his head. The alien has left his imprint on him and he can't take it. It is a powerful feeling as Jenkins compared it to being sentenced to Hell. What makes this feeling worse is the fact that nobody tries to help him cope with the feelings. I don't blame anyone who doesn't help Jenkins. The UNSC is like the army, anything you experience in the battlefield you have to cope with it. There is also the fact that nobody else knows how he feels. No one in the facility has had their mind raped like him or Keyes. It is better to experience those horrible feelings than have someone say, "I know how you feel." It just gets annoying when someone says that and they really dont' know how you feel.
What I'm thinking:
This reading project has gotten me reading more than what I usually read. Not only was I watching less TV, I was actually questioning the main character's actions in the book(1st post). The plot behind the book is picking up. As that is happening, I start reading more and more with anticipation of what is going to happen next. I also find myself looking up words. As the story continues in the book, I realize that I'm more interested in action books in which something is always happening. They are very descriptive and keep my attention. I found out my reading skills have been improving. I keep thinking that I'm actually getting worse though but I know I'm getting better. The fact that I read the 2nd book in a weekend makes me feel surprised. I never thought I would be able to do that. Alas, I have grown tired of the Halo series. I think it is getting too predictable. It follows a pattern like this: action - story build up - action...and so it goes. I think I'll move on to something harder like the Divine Comedy.
What I've read: 10 articles, Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund, Halo: The Flood by William C. Dietz
What I'm Reading Now: (trying to acquire) Inferno by Dante Alighieri
1st
"You have been called upon to serve, you will be trained... and you will become the best we can make of you. You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies."(pg. 30)
- Dr.Halsey, a scientist, to the children of the SPARTAN II project.
I open the book and start reading only to find that scientists are trying to create super soldiers. The scientists gather "abnormal" children and train them through vigorous exercises. The children; however, don't fight the training and don't question what they are training for because they are always busy. At the end of their training, when they are 14 years old, they are told that they were trained for an experiment called SPARTAN. In order for them to become Spartans, they must be injected with self-enhancing serums. The serums; however, have dire consequences, such as elephantiasis, if the person's body rejects the serum.
The question I have is why do the children accept the serums without hesitation instead of just saying no to the project if they know the serums have these consequences. The main character of the book, John, is one of the people who makes it through the experiment without a defect. I find that John wanted to accept the serum for one main reason: to be a hero. When John was a kid and picked by the scientists, he was told that he may have a chance to save the world. This made John feel excited because he felt important. This is why all the children chose the serum. Everyone wants to feel important in one way even if it means risking their life. It is also clear that John has been conditioned to accept any challenge. Throughout his childhood he has been told to follow orders no matter what. When he was ordered to take the serum, it was an instinct to say yes without a question.
Birth of a Spartan
SPARTAN serum side effects
2nd
"So when the men (ODSTs) surrounding him moved...he hesitated.
Not because he was afraid, but because these men could have fallen into any of John's three categories. He didn't know their rank. They were fellow servicemen in the UNSC (space military). But, at the moment, they didn't seem friendly." (pg. 69)
- John in his predicament.
In the beginning of the book, I've encountered that the main character, John, has a problem: he doesn't know what exactly is wrong or right. As far as I know, he has been trained to be a killing machine and only in the killing arts. In this early incident where he encounters ODSTs (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) who pick on him in the gym, he isn't sure what to do. He only know two things about encounters: they are either deadly or friendly. The situation in the gym was different for John. They were fellow soldiers who were being hostile. Fortunately, an officer saw this and ordered John to fight back. Of course, John did so and killed most of them.
"...'My orders gave me permission to 'neutralize' threats,' he replied. 'They aren't threats anymore.'"
"...Seven more soldiers. The Master Chief (John) could open fire now and kill them all. Under any other circumstances, he would have removed such threats. But their MA5Bs (gun) were no immediate danger to him...and the UNSC could use every soldier to fight the Covenant (alien race)." (pg. 257)
- John, or the Master Chief, in another predicament.
John has been ordered to test out a new suit of armor called MJOLNIR against some Marines. The armor has a shield that the Covenant "helped" to develop. In order to test how much damage the shield can take, scientists suited John up and placed him against the UNSC's Marines. John has grown much as a soldier. He now knows not to kill any of the soldiers. Instead of killing them, he knocked them out. This is John's way of dealing with this type of situation.
UNSC background
Covenant
3rd
"The Master Chief went to Linda and knelt by her side. Sections of her armor had melted and adhered to her. Underneath, in patches, bits of carbonized bone showed. He accessed her vital signs on his heads-up display. They were dangerously low.
'Did you do it?' she whispered. 'Get the database?'
'Yes. We got it.' (John)
'Good,' she said. 'We won.' She clasped his hand and closed her eyes.
Her vital signs flat-lined.
John squeezed her hand and let go.'Yes,' he said bitterly. 'We won.'" (pg. 328)
- John with his dying Spartan
John has always been the lucky one. He has surpassed the the other Spartans in skill. John, in this scene, witnessed the death of one his fellow Spartans. She was actually the last Spartan he would ever see. As a Spartan, he is trained not to be attached to other people or objects. The fact that he goes to Linda, a Spartan, while she is dying, shows how much he cares. I came to this conclusion by the fact that Linda only cares about the mission and doesn't care if she is dying or not. John does care about the mission and cares for her. This is the difference between John and the other Spartans.
4th
"'Leave him,'" Gagaw [a grunt] advised."'That's what he would do if it was one of us lying on the floor.'" (pg. 33)
The book, Halo: The Flood, opens up well where the 1st one left off. It doesn't just starts a new. Instead, it references the 1st one in case you didn't read. This was a good start for the book. I thought the book was going to take another turn but instead it headed in the right direction. The book opens up with another prologue which, like the 1st one, builds interest on the book. The thing that I hate the most is the fact that the author has a different style of writing than the previous one. The Covenant, just like the grunt, actually talk and their actions are different than in the 1st one. What I believe is that I've gotten used to Eric's style of writing.
Grunt info
5th
"Yes, the Elite thought, as his highly sensitive ears heard the scrape of a booted foot, a muted click as a new magazine slid home, and the subtle rasp of armor. It won't be long now." (pg. 144)
I take back what I said before of how giving Covenant characters actions and voices was not good. It actually shows the reader how the Covenant think unlike before. It builds character background which is an improvement from the 1st one. The example above is just one that shows how Elites would think in a combat situation. From what I gathered from this small paragraph has showed me more info about the Covenant than the previous book. The Elite, named Zuka 'Zamamee, is a confident one who is very careful when in combat. He is observant and know what's coming. This is just a great example of showing both sides of the stories: The Covenant and the UNSC. I can truly see how the Elite acts on the battlefield and his specialties. No wonder they are equal to Spartans. They are the Covenant's Spartans.
Elite info
Zuka background
6th
"As of each of the fragments of his past played out and was sucked into the void, he could feel the invader enveloping him like an ocean of evil. But, like the pieces of flotsam that remain after a ship has gone down, random pieces of himself remained, a sort of makeshift raft to which he could momentarily cling.[...]But the sea was too rough,waves crashed down on the raft, and broke it apart. Swells lifted Keyes up, others pushed him down, and the final darkness beckoned. But then, just as the ocean was about to consume him, Keyes became aware of the one thing the creature that raped his mind couldn't consume; the CNI transponder's carrier wave." (pg. 227)
When I first read this passage, I was amazed. This is one of the writer's great strengths. He can be descriptive at times and shows great images. I feel like Dietz has captured how Keyes feels when an Elite scavenges his mind. It almost feels like rape. I think this is an excellent description of how Keyes feels. The ocean, or the Elite, is ravaging him and Keyes feels like he is on a raft with nothing but his sanity. Even then, he is losing his sanity. He can't even cling on to his name which I would assume is the raft and his sanity. The one thing that kept Keyes going is the fact that there was still something that the Elite couldn't penetrate; the CNI transponder's carrier wave.
Command Neutral Interface
7th
"Jenkins didn't want to talk, he wanted to die, but nobody cared. The guards left, the door clanged shut, and the Marine was left nothing but a broken arm and the alien inside his head. Somehow, without actually dying, he had been sentenced to Hell." (pg. 276)
Another powerful image by the writer. This is one similar to the one above but it is the aftermath. Jenkins had his mind raped by the alien. The thing about Jenkins is that he feels that the alien is still there in his head. The alien has left his imprint on him and he can't take it. It is a powerful feeling as Jenkins compared it to being sentenced to Hell. What makes this feeling worse is the fact that nobody tries to help him cope with the feelings. I don't blame anyone who doesn't help Jenkins. The UNSC is like the army, anything you experience in the battlefield you have to cope with it. There is also the fact that nobody else knows how he feels. No one in the facility has had their mind raped like him or Keyes. It is better to experience those horrible feelings than have someone say, "I know how you feel." It just gets annoying when someone says that and they really dont' know how you feel.
What I'm thinking:
This reading project has gotten me reading more than what I usually read. Not only was I watching less TV, I was actually questioning the main character's actions in the book(1st post). The plot behind the book is picking up. As that is happening, I start reading more and more with anticipation of what is going to happen next. I also find myself looking up words. As the story continues in the book, I realize that I'm more interested in action books in which something is always happening. They are very descriptive and keep my attention. I found out my reading skills have been improving. I keep thinking that I'm actually getting worse though but I know I'm getting better. The fact that I read the 2nd book in a weekend makes me feel surprised. I never thought I would be able to do that. Alas, I have grown tired of the Halo series. I think it is getting too predictable. It follows a pattern like this: action - story build up - action...and so it goes. I think I'll move on to something harder like the Divine Comedy.